Paper Mario: The Aether Kingdom
by sirskiddo
Summary: An all-new Paper Mario adventure! Mario, Peach and Toadsworth are invited to the Starlight Kingdom by the esteemed Professor Clev R. However, the vacation goes awry when a mysterious gang called the Shadewalkers appears. Now, Mario must find the seven Aether Gems, relics left behind by the ancient Aether Kingdom, and stop the Shadewalkers from discovering an ancient secret.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Uh, hi. I guess it's kinda awkward to introduce your first story, huh? Anyway . . .

I'll mostly be posting Nintendo-based stories, usually about franchises with fairly expansive stories. This, of course, leads into the elephant in the room: This is a fan Paper Mario story. It's been done to death, I know, but I still hope no one is turned away simply because of the topic.

Without further ado, let's get into this.

 _Ahem!_

 _Today, I'm going to tell the story of the Aether Kingdom._

 _Long ago, they say there was an ancient nation known as the Aether Kingdom._

 _The kingdom prospered with the power of seven magical gemstones._

 _But one day, a fierce demon appeared and nearly destroyed the entire kingdom._

 _The kingdom's remains live on in another kingdom, the Starlight Kingdom._

 _And the tale of the Aether Kingdom . . . starts here._

 **Prologue: Legend of the Lost**

Mario was awoken by an almost-too-familiar voice: "Mail call!"

Groggily, he got out of bed, quickly wolfed down a Nutty Cake for breakfast, and walked outside to get the letter. Before opening the mailbox, he took a moment to look around. He was still adjusting to his new house, and missed Luigi, who had taken the old house after Mario bought the new one. At last, he got over his nostalgic feelings and sat down to read the letter.

 _Dear Mario,_

 _I've been invited to the Starlight Kingdom by Professor Clev R., an esteemed archaeologist researching the kingdom's origins. This sounds like a fantastic opportunity to learn about the culture of one of our closest neighbors, not to mention see all the beautiful sights! I've heard that the kingdom's capital city, Starlight City, is especially beautiful! I'll be with Toadsworth at the Toad Town port, so meet me there at noon. See you there!_

 _Love, Peach._

A couple hours later, Mario had packed up his hammer, a hundred coins, and a spare set of clothes. He grabbed a Shroom Choco Bar for the road, took the short walk to Toad Town, said goodbye to Luigi (who had been invited to take a vacation of his own), and met up with Peach and Toadsworth.

"Oh! Hello, Mario. How have you been doing?" Peach asked.

"Same as always; Any day you're not kidnapped is a good day for me," Mario replied.

"Master Mario! Please don't offend the princess in this manner," Toadsworth exclaimed, angrily tapping his cane into the ground.

"Oh, Toadsworth, it doesn't matter. We'd better get going soon. Clev R. expects to see us by three," Peach said. The trio hopped onto the boat, greeted by a Toad who introduced himself as Cap N. Within a few minutes, they had set off and gotten settled in.

"I do hope that we don't get tangled up in another world-saving adventure or suchlike, Master Mario. We've already had countless vacations go wrong. Isle Delfino, the Beanbean Kingdom, Rogueport, Pi'illo Island, Prism Island . . . We don't want this one to make half a dozen," Toadsworth said.

"Stop being such as worrywart! What can go wrong in such a peaceful land? They say there's so many sights to see . . ." Peach said. Her chastisement of Toadsworth soon devolved into a rant about their vacation schedule.

" . . . and on Wednesday, we HAVE to go to Mt. Sakura! It's the tallest mountain in the whole Starlight Kingdom! The cherry blossom trees are beautiful, and the architecture is incredible! Then on Thursday, we'll visit Cloudcrash Island, a floating island above the clouds! If we're lucky, we'll even get to see the famous Cloudcrash Hotel! Oh, but when are we going to visit High Noon Ranch?" Peach blabbed, oblivious to the fact that Mario had fallen asleep and Toadsworth was watching tourism videos. She probably would have gone on all day, but luckily, Cap N. soon yelled, "ATTENTION, PASSENGERS! We have arrived at the Starlight Kingdom. All passengers going to the Starlight Kingdom (i.e. All of them), please disembark!"

Mario, Peach, and Toadsworth soon got off the boat, only to have their jaws collectively drop.

"Why, Starlight City looks simply DIVINE!" Peach exclaimed.

"Whoa. This is just . . . Wow," Mario said to himself.

"Indeed, this place is incredible, Master Mario!" Toadsworth responded.

None of them were particularly wrong. Starlight City was simply incredible. Most notably, the city was enormous; Much larger than either Toad Town or Rogueport. The buildings all looked new and brilliant, yet maintained a sense of antique beauty. The roads were similar, and some of the plazas had beautiful paintings on them, most depicting an ethereal landscape surrounded by seven colorful stones. Additionally, canals ran through the entire city, with gondola services claiming to take riders anywhere in the city. Luckily, Mario and co. didn't need to take a gondola, as an elderly Toad in glasses spotted them and cried, "Princess! Thank the Star Spirits you got my invitation! I was beginning to worry the postal service had lost another letter."

Soon enough, the gang was talking to each other outside what appeared to be Clev R.'s house, along with Clev R., the elderly Toad they had met earlier, and his assistant Goombriana, a young Goomba girl with a light blue cap and blonde hair.

"Yes, the Starlight Kingdom is truly incredible," Peach said.

"It is, isn't it? What fascinates me the most, though, is the origin of the kingdom. Legends say it was once called the Aether Kingdom, and it was founded by an ancient people using a set of seven magical artifacts: The Aether Gems! With these gems, they were able to perform an astounding feat: Briefly enter the rift between dimensions known as the Aether and alter the fabric of their world! They built the entire kingdom like this! But then they just . . . disappeared. They say that the Aether Gems were left behind, but almost no one knows where. Myself, I've been researching them for over fifty years, and I don't know where even one is hidden! There are rumors that . . ." Doogley began. However, he was cut off by a strange being in a red and purple uniform running up to him and tackling him from behind.

"What the . . ." Mario began. He wasn't able to finish that statement, as three more red-and-purple beings jumped out from an alley and nabbed Toadsworth, Peach and Goombriana. The fourth was followed by a much larger being in a similar uniform, though this one had no trace of red on him. Instead, his uniform had a purple and black motif, with a crescent moon emblem on the front. He laughed a stereotypical evil laugh, but it somehow felt much scarier when it was appropriate for the situation.

"HELP ME!" Peach cried.

A/N: Cliffhangers ahoy!

Just so everyone knows, Mario would be mute if this were a real game, as per tradition. I'll point out other inconsistencies as they come up, and most are for story purposes.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the first part. I'm just getting started . . .


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, first and foremost, thank you guys so much for the incredible reception of the first chapter. As this is my first fanfic, your support means so much to me.

Secondly, a few more observant readers may have noticed that one of the lines is said by a mysterious character named Doogley. Don't worry; This is just a leftover from an earlier stage where Clev R. was a Doogan. Just imagine it says Clev R. Anyway, chapter two START!

 **Prologue: Legend of the Lost**

"Who are you to attack and kidnap us you . . . you . . . fiend?!" Clev R. sputtered.

"Gah ha ha! You can call me Baron Magnus, top dog of the Shadewalkers! Now, no one start worrying, we're just gonna take you to our fortress . . . Well, most of you, anyway. YOU! RED GUY! You're lucky Johnson couldn't make it in time!" the purple and black figure shouted.

"It's Mario, but I prefer Super Mario or, if you're feeling fancy, the Red Lightning. I'll have to ask you to let my friends go," Mario said, reaching for his hammer. Then he realized it had fallen off the boat during the voyage.

"Oh, so you're lookin' for a fight, huh? You've got spunk, goin' up against the baron himself! Unfortunately, spunk ain't gonna help you!" Baron Magnus shouted, rushing into battle. Mario, realizing what the baron was about to do, countered his body slam attack with a perfect Superguard.

"YOUCH! You're tougher than you look, but I've still got plenty of fight left in me!" Baron Magnus cried. He tried to rush in again, but Mario pulled off a perfect jump attack, bouncing off Magnus with perfect precision, twice in a row.

"Master Mario! You've almost got him! Just a couple more attacks should do it, old bean! Don't give up!" Toadsworth cried.

"That's it! You asked for it . . . SUPER BARON ATTACK GO!" Magnus yelled. Despite the impressive name, the attack was only a slightly faster charge, and Mario was able to guard against it before finishing the fight with one last jump attack.

"Gah ha . . . HUH? You lucked out this time, punk! I won't go so easy on you next time! Just stay away from the Aether Gems, and there won't be a next time!" Magnus shouted. He pulled out a remote control and pressed a button. He and all his Shadewalker troops disappeared . . . along with Princess Peach!

"Oh, Master Mario! Thank you so much for . . . EGADS! The princess has been taken by those vile vagabonds!" Toadsworth exclaimed. He promptly fainted on the spot, and Clev R. called in two medics. They quickly arrived and took the unconcious Toadsworth to the inn.

"Hmm . . . We have an interesting situation on our hands. Mario, Goombriana, let's head inside so we can discuss this further," Clev R. said. The trio went inside Clev R.'s house, which was fairly comfortable, but a bit messy.

"That baron guy said he was after the Aether Gems, yeah?" Goombriana asked.

"Indeed, and that is quite troublesome. You see, there is another legend that has long been told of the Aether Gems. Should one obtain all seven of the gems, they would be able to discover the ancient secret of the Aether Kingdom. That's the main reason they've been sought after for so long. If the baron and his Shadewalker gang are after the gems . . . I can only imagine what trouble they would bring," Clev R. said.

"Well, there's only one thing left to do; Grab all the Aether Gems before the Shadewalkers can!" Goombriana said.

Clev R. shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple," he said, pulling out a pearly white orb. "This is the Orb of Revelation. It has similar properties to the Aether Gems, and, most importantly, they say that taking it to a mysterious location called the Aether Temple and placing it on the pedestal there would reveal the location of one of the Aether Gems. Furthermore, giving it the power of one Aether Gem would allow it to find another, and so on until the holder found all seven Aether Gems."

"Hmm, seven powerful gems held by an ancient society, with a magical object that reveals their locations when given their power. That sounds rather familiar . . ." Mario said.

"The problem is, no one knows where the Aether Temple is. There are rumors it's in a mysterious back alley in the Residential District of Starlight City, but no one knows for sure," Clev R. said.

"Then we might as well check that weird alleyway. We're already in the Residential District, and if I recall correctly, it's just a few houses over from here," Goombriana replied. The trio walked over to the strange alley. As Mario expected, it felt rather ominous. There was a sense of mystery, like there was far more to this alley than it seemed, but all there was was a few trash cans and some graffiti on the wall. Most of the graffiti was just random scribbles, but one depicted a blue square with a question mark inside.

"Hold it. Clev R., you said the Orb of Revelation had similar properties to the Aether Gems, right?" Goombriana asked.

"Yes, but how will that help us here?" Clev R. asked in response.

"I think I get what Goombriana's getting at. Pass me the Orb of Revelation," Mario said. Clev R. handed the orb over, and Mario held it aloft. There was a blinding flash of light, and then . . .

Mario had entered a strange world, if it even was a world. Bright colors flashed all around, but Mario was still there, holding the Orb of Revelation. He saw the back alley, the graffiti still on the wall. Experimentally, he touched the Orb of Revelation to the blue square, and it disappeared. Then, Mario put away the Orb, and he reappeared in Starlight City, with one small difference: The blue square had disappeared. In its place was a multicolored door, with colors swirling and flashing about like the odd world Mario had just briefly visited.

"Well," Goombriana said. "This could get interesting."

A/N: Just to let everyone know, I'm not going to leave every chapter on a cliffhanger like this, if this can even be counted as a cliffhanger. They just happen to provide easy and convenient stopping points. Also, except the general schedule to have a chapter uploaded every Sunday, since, you know, weekends. Again, thanks for your support and see you next week.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I would have written an early update on Tuesday, but . . . well, I honestly have no idea why I didn't. Oh well. Here's the third chapter for y'all.

 **Prologue: Legend of the Lost**

Without hesitation, Mario, Goombriana and Clev R. entered the multicolored door that had appeared. While Goombriana and Clev R. gasped at the sight, Mario had seen the place he had entered. It was nearly identical to the world he had entered when he held up the Orb of Revelation, if it was a world at all. There was much to be learned about this world.

"Mario! This must be the Aether Temple! Hold up the Orb of Revelation!" Clev R. cried. Mario did just that, and seven colored lights entered the Orb of Revelation. It then burst with white light, and a murky image began forming. When it finally formed, Mario saw a green field. The sun was shining, and he could just barely make out a fortress in the distance. Mario put the Orb of Revelation away, and the gang was suddenly back in the alleyway, with the graffiti on the wall and everything.

"I get it! Since the Orb of Revelation has some properties of the Aether Gems, it let us into the Aether between dimensions!" Goombriana exclaimed.

"That was clever of you, Mario. You too, Goombriana. We'll talk about this back at my house," Clev R. said. A couple minutes later, Mario, Goombriana, and Clev R. were back at Clev R's house once again.

"When I held up the Orb of Revelation, some sort of . . . field showed up in it. Any idea what that meant?" Mario asked.

"Ah, of course! The first Aether Gem must be in Paradise Pass!" Clev R. cried.

"Paradise Pass?" Mario asked.

"It's one of the most beautiful and peaceful lands in the whole Starlight Kingdom! Unfortunately, it's also a rather large region. I'm not sure exactly where the Aether Gem might be, but there's a town called Viridian Village there. Why don't you two stop by at the village and try to find some information there?" Clev R. asked.

"Well, I guess that's our only lead. Let's move out!" Goombriana said. Mario and Goombriana stepped outside, only to realize they had no idea where they were going. Clev R. soon came out and asked, "Do you even know the way to Paradise Pass?"

"Nope," Mario and Goombriana said in unison.

"Well, it's pretty far from Starlight City, but I know a shortcut! Somewhere in the Starlight Sewers, there's a pipe that leads there," Clev R. said.

"All right, let's go!" Mario said.

"Oh! Mario? Here are a few sending-off gifts," Clev R. said. He handed Mario a Hammer, which he spun around in his hand. It felt just like his old one.

 _ **Mario got the Hammer!** Try swinging it by pressing B! It can break yellow blocks and hit switches!_

"And here's something I know you're familiar with," Clev R. said. He handed Mario a Power Jump badge. "This is the latest model of the Power Jump badge. It can even crumple enemies now!"

"Thanks!" Mario said.

"There's one more thing I have to give you . . . Well, more like some knowledge. Have you ever heard of Star Power?" Clev R. asked.

"Of course! I've even used it several times," Mario responded.

"Well, the Aether Gems can grant you Star Power as well. Even the Orb of Revelation grants a little! They each give you a different ability, and in the orb's case, you'll get Fair Winds. In dire situations, you can use it to patch yourself up!" Clev R. exclaimed.

"That should come in handy," Mario said.

"Well, tallyho, Mario!" Clev R. said. Mario was about to head out, but he was stopped by Goombriana.

"Uh, Mario? If you don't mind, I'd like to join you on your adventure. I love travelling around the kingdom, and I'll get to see every corner with you!" Goombriana said.

"Of course!" Mario responded, to which Goombriana jumped for joy. "Great! I know you won't be disappointed!"

 ** _Goombriana joined the party!_** _Goombriana is a spunky young girl who loves learning new things and adventuring around the Starlight Kingdom. In the field, she can use Tattle to tell Mario about the area he's currently in. In battle, she can attack enemies with the classic Headbonk technique, or analyze a foe's stats and weaknesses with her Tattle ability._

Mario and Goombriana then left, grabbed a few items at the local shop, and found the entrance pipe to the sewers. There was a yellow block in the way, but Mario smashed it with the Hammer, and the two went down the Warp Pipe.

Starlight Sewers were just what Mario had expected . . . a dank and musty underground area. Mario and Goombriana ran into a few Goombas, Paragoombas, and Spiky Goombas, but otherwise the sewers were surprisingly straightforward. Goombriana did Tattle the enemies for the sake of convenience, but they weren't anything Mario didn't already know about, except that, if he could create an earthquake, he might be able to knock a Spiky Goomba's helmet off. Beyond the Goomba family, everything was smooth sailing . . . until Mario ran into a massive chasm.

"Great. NOW what are we supposed to do?" Goombriana asked.

"No idea. I use to know a trick that could handle this gap, but I forget what it was. If only I could remember . . ." Mario asked.

Suddenly, a voice cut in. "Perhaps you're speaking of the Paper Airplane technique, sonny?" Mario and Goombriana turned around and saw an elderly Toad.

"Greetings. I'm a monk who lives in these sewers, helping the few travelers coming through. Perhaps I could assist you in reaching Paradise Pass?" the Toad asked.

"That would be great! Thanks!" Mario said.

"Here. Let me use the ancient mind-clearing techniques of old . . ." the Toad said. He started concentrating, and suddenly, Mario was enlightened.

 _ **Mario learned Paper Airplane**_ _ **!** Press X while on a Plane Panel to turn into a paper airplane and fly across gaps! Press B to turn back into normal Mario_.

"You're welcome, sonny," the Toad monk said.

"Thank you!" Mario replied. Using his newly learned technique, he crossed the gap, and on the other end was the pipe to Paradise Pass that Clev R. had mentioned. Mario and Goombriana entered it, and the adventure truly began.

A/N: Finally, I got the prologue out of the way! Thank the Star Spirits I decided to only have one boss fight here . . .

Well, the adventure's just begun. Stay tuned for Mario and Goombriana's adventures in Paradise Pass!


End file.
